


An Unwitting Accomplice

by DirigibleDetective



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Masked ball, Party Crashers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 20:36:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3395528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirigibleDetective/pseuds/DirigibleDetective
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellana drags Cullen to a party, but leaves out some of the most important details.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unwitting Accomplice

“I _really_ don’t think this is a good idea Ellana.”

“Nonsense. When have I ever led you astray?” Cullen merely stopped and looked at her. “Right, maybe you shouldn’t answer that.”

“I wish you had told me what you had in mind before dragging me all the way out to Val Royeaux. Furniture shopping would be preferable to what you have in mind.” Cullen tugged sullenly at the front of the gaudy Tevinter outfit Ellana had coerced him in to.

“Stop fiddling with those buckles, Commander.” Dorian’s hand slapped teasingly at Cullen’s, which were indeed fiddling with one of the excessive number of buckles, catches and hooks that held the costume in place. Cullen made a vague, threatening noise at the mage, who merely chuckled and helped Ellana place the last few pins in her hair. They were all wearing traditional Tevinter finery, cheerfully provided by Dorian, in an effort to look a bit less like themselves and blend in to the crowd. Blending in wasn’t easy to do as some of the most recognizable faces in the Inquisition.

“I don’t even _like_ parties.”

“This isn’t just any party, Cullen.” Ellana replied, tossing him the feathered silver mask that matched the ones worn by both her and Dorian. “This is a _secret masked ball_.” She paused in the process of fastening a cloak at her throat. “Also, I hear it has an open bar,” she added with a significant glance in Dorian’s direction.

“Well then, let’s be off! I’d hate for us to miss any of the merriment and debauchery!” Dorian threw open the door to the quarters they had secured and marched in to the streets, a giggling Ellana tugging an unenthusiastic Cullen in his wake.

 

* * *

 

“Ellana, I may not be an expert on Orlesian architecture, but I believe we just passed the front door.” Cullen muttered quietly in his lover’s ear.

“Your observation skills are exceptional, as usual my dear. We’re taking an… alternate route.” The three of them walked in the shadows on the other side of the street, past the milling group of guests in dark cloaks filing through the ornate front gates, and around the corner of the estate. Apparently secrecy here consisted of everyone arriving en masse, chattering amongst themselves while wearing hooded cloaks.

"I would ask you to explain, but I’m not sure I want to hear the answer.”

“Well Commander, we aren't _precisely_ invited to this party,” Dorian offered helpfully as he waved through a narrow back gate at the figure approaching them from the opposite side. Cullen spluttered in shock as the gate opened with a screech of iron hinges. The trio slipped through, Dorian giving the girl at the gate a dramatic kiss and a small pouch of coins. She blushed and swiftly tucked the coins in a pocket, closing the gate behind them.

“Ellana. No. We are _not_ doing this.” He kept up a stream of indignant complaints as they made their way through back hallways until they suddenly and seamlessly merged with the crowd milling in the vestibule, tossing cloaks on to benches and hooks on the walls. “We are _not_ crashing a party.”

“You’re right Cullen,” she replied finally, pulling the cloak from her motionless Commander’s shoulders. “We’re not crashing a party. We’ve _crashed_ it.” Her lips curved up in to a brilliant smile as she and Dorian tugged an increasingly unhappy Cullen through the doors and in to the ballroom.

“Dance with me, my love.” Ellana pulled Cullen on to the dance floor.

“Not only have you unwittingly dragged me to a party we’re not actually invited to, but you’re also going to insist on making me dance? You’re killing me woman.” Cullen gathered Ellana in to his arms, moving with more grace than his words would suggest.

“I don’t understand why you maintain this charade of being a terrible dancer. You’re really quite good at it.” Ellana looked up at the silver masked face above her own, his shadowed eyes full of mirth in spite of himself.

“Ellana, why are we here? Why am _I_ here? You already had your usual partner in crime to accompany you.” Cullen glanced over to where Dorian was busy flirting mercilessly with the bartender, a glass of wine dangling from his fingers. “Why all the conniving to get me here too?”

“You don’t get out of Skyhold enough. Or at all, actually. You were overdue for a vacation.” They danced in silence for a few minutes, following the currents of the dance floor. Ellana rested her head against Cullen’s chest, enjoying the simplicity of the moment. Just dancing. No politics, no hidden assassins, just the two of them.

Until Cullen suddenly froze and Ellana promptly tripped over his feet. Only the fact that he was still holding her waist kept her from crashing to the floor. “Fen’Harel take you, Cullen, what was that?”

He pulled her into a nearby alcove. “ _Vivienne_ is here!” He watched as Ellana took that revelation without blinking. “You knew.”

A wide-eyed nod. He narrowed his own eyes and looked at her.

“ _This is her party, isn't it??”_  he finally hissed. Ellana grinned and gave him two thumbs up in her ridiculously ornate elbow-length black gloves.

“Oh, Maker preserve us.” Cullen tried to rub his hands over his face, only to encounter the heavy silver mask. “You snuck us, in disguise, in to Vivienne’s secret party in Val Royeaux,” he sighed heavily.  “I feel like I should be more shocked than I actually am. This is exactly the sort of thing you would do.”

“To be fair, it was Dorian’s idea.” Ellana caught two glasses of champagne off a passing tray and handed one to Cullen. “He was awfully miffed when he heard about this and found out that he hadn't been invited.”

“I can’t believe this. If she catches us…” Cullen drained his glass and placed it gracefully on yet another tray circling the room in the arms of a liveried servant.

“What?” Ellana drained her own glass. “She’ll kick us out? That’ll make for a great story. Kicked out of a party by the Grand Enchanter herself.” Ellana peeked around the corner to look up to the balcony where Vivienne stood looking over the party laid out below her. She giggled and leaned back in to Cullen. “She looks like some sort of large bird, trying to decide which unfortunate mouse is about to become her next meal.”

In spite of himself, Cullen chuckled. “Well, it’s far too late to go home now.” He offered his arm to Ellana. “Let’s be good Vints and go get ourselves some wine.”

“That’s the first sensible thing you've said all night,” Ellana answered, catching hold of his elbow and sweeping out of the alcove at her Commander’s side.

 

* * *

 

One successful party-crashing and three days later found Cullen, Ellana, and Dorian sitting at a table in the great hall, chatting amiably, when Madame de Fer swept in, all rustling silk and expensive perfume. She stopped for the barest of seconds to lay a hand on Cullen’s shoulder.

“Commander, so lovely to see you. I must know, what _did_ you think of my ball?” Cullen froze and made a quiet choking sound, looking at Ellana in desperation.

“I’m sure he has no idea what you’re talking about, Viv,” she lied casually, leaning back in her chair and tossing her feet on the table. Vivenne sniffed in disdain, treating Dorian’s wide-eyed face to an equal dose of her displeasure before disappearing up to her perch in the loft, Ellana’s unrestrained laughter following her the whole way.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a little rough. I like the concept, but I'm not totally sold on how I've written it. Maybe I'll come back and clean it up later. Suggestions on how to go about that are always welcome.


End file.
